The Best Olive Oil Clubs

Monday, March 20th

2023 Olive Oil Club Reviews

Amazing Clubs

• Priced from $35.95/month
• Free shipping
• Each shipment includes one 12- to 20-oz bottle plus gourmet breadsticks
• Fun newsletter included with each delivery
• Most flexible olive oil subscription
• Great for gift-giving
• 100% satisfaction guarantee

Whenever you're looking for a reliable, fun subscription club with incredible customer service, especially to give as a gift, your first thought should be to check out what Amazing Clubs has to offer. Time and again we've used this company to deliver delight, and we've never once been disappointed. Their olive oil club is a perfect example of quality, flexibility, and customer service done right.

Take a peek at past selections

Unlike many subscriptions that either leave you in the dark until you open the box or that send you the exact same oil from one month to the next, Amazing Clubs tells you what they've sent in the past. That lets you gauge your interest in what they offer; some examples of previous shipments are Oleaves Andalusia EVOO, Sogno Toscano EVOO, and Parnon Estates Greek EVOO.

You'll always know what's coming next

Once your subscription is set up, you'll be told well in advance which oil is coming in your next delivery. Not a fan of what you see? Not a problem. You can skip that month's shipment and something else will be tacked on to the end of your subscription term.

Lots to enjoy

What will you get in your Amazing Clubs' olive oil membership? Each month comes with one bottle of premium, hand-crafted olive oil in bottles ranging from 12-20 oz (in case you're comparing with clubs that measure in mL, that's roughly equivalent to the 350 and 500mL bottles you'll see elsewhere). But that's not all. You'll also get a selection of gourmet breadsticks to dip. And, every month's package comes with The Olive Press, Amazing Clubs' newsletter with details about where your oil and breadsticks come from, fun facts about olive oil, recipes and serving suggestions, and much more.

Great value

You might be surprised by how affordable this olive oil club is: you'll pay just $35.95 to $37.95 per month, depending on the length of your subscription, and shipping is included within the continental US. Choose between three, four, six and twelve total deliveries, and then indicate if you'd like them to come every month or every other month. In other words, you could have an olive oil club that lasts for a total of two years, if you opt for the 12-month subscription on alternating months. You also choose when you'd like deliveries to start; Amazing Clubs always ships out the last week of the month regardless of when you begin the plan.

Easy-breezy gift-giving

However, if you're giving this olive oil club as a gift, you can have the announcement arrive any time you like. Print it from your computer, have it sent by mail, or provide the person's email address and specify the delivery date. Your recipient will be able to see the tracking information on all future shipments, and skip any deliveries they wish, without you needing to lift a finger.

Guaranteed to love it

Customers say that Amazing Clubs' olive oil club is the gift that keeps on giving. It was fun to read rave reviews from people who gave this subscription to someone from "the old country" who said it absolutely lived up to their discerning palate. We didn't see anyone with issues with the product itself, only with the delivery on very rare occasions. And, even in that case, you're always protected by Amazing Clubs' customer-friendly "You'll Love It!" guarantee. Whether your box gets drop-kicked by UPS or something just tastes off with one of your olive oils, just reach out to their customer service team and you'll get a prompt, friendly resolution. And, if you decide to cancel your olive oil club for any reason, you'll get a full refund for anything unshipped that you paid for ahead of time. It's really just that simple.

#1 rated Olive Oil club

Can you see why Amazing Clubs has three million satisfied customers - and counting? You or your lucky recipient will get a tasty olive oil and breadsticks combo to try every month and a fun-and-informative newsletter, all with fantastic flexibility, affordable pricing, and an impressive guarantee. You won't be sorry if you choose this olive oil club for someone you love (including yourself).

Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club

• Priced from $99/quarter
• Olive oils from around the world
• Free shipping
• Informative newsletter in every delivery
• 100% money-back guarantee

The "Olive Oil Hunter" - T.J. Robinson - puts his expertise to use year in and year out to get you the most healthful, fresh olive oil on the planet through his Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club. T.J.'s site can't wait to tell you all about it - his journey, his commitment, and why this is the best olive oil you'll ever find - and we won't get too far into it here since you can read it all for yourself. Long story short, this is a guy who knows his stuff: there aren't many Americans selected to judge Italian olive oil tasting contests, but he has been.

3 olive oil varieties every month

There are two subscription options with Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club, and they only differ by size:

• Three 250 mL bottles for $99
• Or three 500 mL bottles for $139

Deliveries come quarterly, and shipping is always included in the price. Each box will come with three different varieties; the company won't tell you in advance what you're getting, and they don't even show you on the site what past shipments have included. But, in checking out some unboxing videos posted by subscribers, they showed three varieties of Spanish olive oil - so you may get oils from the same country or region, but always with different flavor profiles. Sneaky tip: you'll find the current year's newsletters in the "Explore" section of the site if you want a peek at what's been sent out recently - plus several more years too.

Bye-bye to the $1 trial

We were oh-so-sad to see that this olive oil club dropped one huge perk since our last review: you can no longer get a trial bottle for just $1. We get it - times are tough, and everything is more expensive - but that change was just enough to drop Fresh Pressed from our top spot. Sorry, guys.

Freshest olive oil varieties from around the globe

Besides that, however, everything about this olive oil club absolutely hits the mark. First, every olive oil you'll get through this subscription is hand-selected and shipped at the peak of freshness - by plane and not slow cargo like many other importers. That also means you'll get not just Italian and Greek olive oils during their harvest season, but also oils from Argentina, Chile, Australia and so on - taking advantage of the seasons in both hemispheres.

Read the report for insights and inspiration

Second, each delivery will come with a "Pressing Report" . It's essentially the "biography" of the olive oils in your shipment, and it comes with seasonal recipes and traditional uses to amplify your kitchen skills and knowledge. That's a nice touch if you want to send Fresh Pressed Olive Oil as a gift. Just go to the gift page to set up your order; we found that link in the FAQs.

100% satisfaction guarantee on every bottle

Finally, every olive oil sent by Fresh Pressed comes with a 100^% satisfaction guarantee. If you're ever unhappy for any reason, you can get a full refund for that shipment, no questions asked. Cancel, skip, or pause your subscription at any time too; there's no long-term commitment required here.

Food-lovers praise this olive oil club

Reading the testimonials on the Fresh Pressed site and customer comments around the internet, it leaves no doubt that these olive oils pack a punch (in a good way). That tingle you get in the back of your throat? That tells you the oil is ultra-fresh and delivers maximum nutritional benefits. People love the variety of oils they receive and the convenience of having three oils to rotate through each quarter as they wait for their next delivery. And, Fresh Pressed fulfills its promises: we didn't see anyone complaining that they weren't able to cancel or get a refund on demand.

Phenomenal olive oil club

Even though we had to knock a tiny half-star off of Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club's rating, we still recommend this subscription whole-heartedly, no reservations. Anyone who knows anything about olive oil will love what they get here - they might even be wishing that they could get monthly deliveries and not have to wait for the new quarter to roll around. You've got nothing to lose by trying Fresh Pressed for your olive oil club - and so much flavor to gain.

Zingerman's

• Priced from $120 for 2 months
• Free shipping
• Each delivery comes with one ~500mL bottle
• First shipment comes with an olive oil dipping plate
• "Unbeatable" guarantee

Ann Arbor's Zingerman's is a business everyone loves. Really. You'll have a hard time finding someone with a complaint about this friendly, slightly quirky company (okay, maybe more than "slightly" - but we like it). There's a whole network of shops under the Zingerman's banner, giving you access to tasty treats ranging from brownies to bread. And an easy-to-understand olive oil club.

No-surprises olive oil club

Zingerman's offers 3 subscription plans to choose from:

• 2 months for $120
• 4 months for $215
• 6 months for $300

Conveniently, you'll know exactly what you're getting when you subscribe to Zingerman's Monthly Rare Olive Oil Club:

• First month: Zingerman's Peranzana from Marina Colonna in Italy
• Second month: OLV Oil from the Flores family in Spain
• Third month: La Spineta from the Pellegrino family in Southern Italy
• Fourth month: Acushia from the Moreira family in Portugal
• Fifth month: Roi from the Boeri family in Liguria (Northern Italy)
• Six month: Onsa's Oil from the Mahjoub family in Tunisia

So, if you choose a two-month subscription for $120, you'll get the Peranzana and OLV. Four months at $215 gets you the first four in the list. And, no surprise, the $300 plan comes with all six olive oil varieties on the list. With every club, the shipping is free and the first delivery comes with a handmade terraced olive oil dipping plate (valued at $35).

Expensive but worth it

If we're being completely frank, $60 for a 500mL bottle of olive oil - even such unique varieties - is on the spendy side, free shipping notwithstanding. So why do we give Zingerman's olive oil club such a high ranking? One of the reasons is their "unbeatable guarantee" : if there's anything at all that you don't like, in any of your orders, they'll quickly replace it or refund your money - and they don't even make you send it back. That should have you feeling all the warm fuzzies, especially after you see the "all sales final" policy of several of Zingerman's rivals.

Convenient for gift-giving

Another reason we're not deterred by the Monthly Rare Olive Oil Club's higher-than-average price is because it's made for gift-giving. And aren't our loved ones worth a little extra? Each shipment comes with lots of information on where the oil came from, how it's made, and how to use it. There's even a downloadable card you can use to let your recipient know that goodness is on the way.

Great gifting features

We love the handy gift-giving features sprinkled all through the checkout process too. You can select an arrival date: though the first available is usually about a week from when you place the order, you can pay extra for priority arrival on an earlier date, or use the calendar to go further out. You can also choose a different arrival timeframe- and even enter a totally different gift message - for each shipment (we're envisioning a year of gifts taken care of, no problem).

An olive oil club with character

No, there aren't any customer reviews on Zingerman's Rare Olive Oil Club, although it was chosen as the "Best Overall Food Club" by Charles Passy at the Wall Street Journal. We'd love to see this company add some client feedback in the future. But, when you look at the overall reputation of Zingerman's, from everyday customers in Ann Arbor to gift-givers nationwide, further reviews really aren't necessary for you to know that this is a fantastic olive oil club that is "unbeatably guaranteed" . Zingerman's still ranks among our top three picks, and they're well worth considering especially if your purchase will be a gift (they'll love it).

Brightland

• Priced at $65/month
• Olive oil exclusively from California
• Customizable subscription that can be changed month to month
• Free shipping
• Quarterly gifts like sourdough starter and garden seeds
• In business since 2018

Brightland is one of the newer olive oil clubs in our evaluation. The olives are sourced from a family-run California farm, and you'll notice lots of references to "the Golden State" as you browse what Brightland has to offer.

Mix-and-match after the first month

This olive oil club is the most customizable of any provider we reviewed. Your subscription here starts with The Duo: the Awake oil made for roasting, sauteing, and other cooking, and the Alive oil best used in salads, hummus, and for dipping. You can continue to receive those two 375 mL bottles from month to month, or you can swap them at any time going forward. That lets you try Brightland's flavored oils and vinegars, mixing and matching as you like. The subscription is priced at $65/month and shipping is included.

Perks for members only

Why subscribe instead of just buying a la carte? Subscribers get additional perks not offered to the general public. Each quarter, you'll get a new gift; past surprises have included garden seeds and sourdough starter. You'll also get invitations to member-only events and first access to new product releases. And, if you want to place an order in addition to your olive oil club, you'll always get free shipping if you go through the Subscriber Hub.

Glitchy site at times

But, don't be surprised if you spot some glitches as you try to sign up for your Brightland olive oil club. It took us several tries to get the price to display accurately, and we never were able to set it to a frequency other than monthly (even though "every 2 months" and "every 3 months" were options in the dropdown box).

Gift-giving could be a challenge

We also got really confused when we went to send the Brightland subscription as a gift (which was an option in the cart): we got a notification that some items in our cart weren't eligible to be sent as gifts and were thus removed from the basket. It still let us go to the next screen, where we were offered Green Package Protection... in the amount of our choosing? It also told us to "choose a title" , further adding to the impression that this online store isn't quite finished just yet (despite having reviews going back to 2019). We got to the end of the process, and the only thing we would be "sending" to our recipient was the $0.98 package protection - on what? Long story short, Brightland's olive oil club might not really be an option if you're trying to send a membership as a gift - unless you do a workaround by entering two different addresses for billing and shipping. Not very fancy or gift-y, but it works.

Pay for package protection?

If you're buying the olive oil club for yourself, you'll still want that Green Package Protection. Without it, Brightland won't take responsibility for your packages if they are damaged, lost or stolen. There's also no satisfaction guarantee here; all sales are final, whether you like what you get or not. Ouch.

Beautiful packaging, rave reviews

And yet, there are hundreds of reviews on the Brightland site, spanning all of the products in their inventory, and they almost average out to a flawless five stars. We spotted a few customers here and there saying that these olive oils are too bitter for their liking, but the vast majority praise everything about this company, from the oils themselves to the beautiful packaging. Many reviews mentioned that the bottles are pretty enough to leave out on the counter, and that presentation makes Brightland products a wonderful housewarming or hostess gift. That's not necessarily relevant to your olive oil subscription, but it's good to know.

Check out the Field Notes

On another positive note, we really enjoy the Field Notes section of the Brightland site. You'll find a wealth of information there, from educational articles about olive oil and other products (" Can you reuse olive oil?" and "What is the smoke point of olive oil?" ), "Breaking Bread" interviews with interesting people, recommended reading, and much more.

Worth a look

Although we have some mixed feelings about the Brightland experience - not being able to select a different order frequency, having to pay for package protection, and so on - we think that some food-lovers will really appreciate being able to change what's in their olive oil club delivery from one month to the next. Why not get a great flavored vinegar paired with oil at the height of green salad season? See if the aesthetic and flexibility of Brightland's olive oil club is what you're looking for.

Olive Oil Lovers

• Priced at $32/month
• Olive oils from around the world
• Free shipping
• Gift subscriptions available for 3, 6, or 12 months
• Available to addresses in all 50 states
• 14-day return policy
• In business since 2012

Olive Oil Lovers is a division of Sun Grove Foods, an importer and manufacturer specializing in gourmet extra virgin olive oils. They're sourced from the top producing areas in the world, delivered in bulk to Sun Grove's warehouses, and bottled at the time of the order for maximum freshness. Every EVOO they sell has been carefully selected, tasted, and analyzed before being made available to customers.

Always $32/month regardless of subscription

No matter which type of subscription you choose here, you'll always pay $32/month and the shipping is included. That could be a month-to-month olive oil membership for yourself, or a gift club for someone else that lasts three, six, or twelve months. If you choose the former, when you click on the button it'll pop up and ask you if you'd prefer your deliveries every two months instead.

Every delivery is a surprise

That's about as far as the details go on this club. Olive Oil Lovers doesn't tell you where it will come from or even how much will be in the bottles they send - and when we reached out through their live chat (which was responded to very quickly, by the way), they said "it depends" but that it's usually a 500mL bottle. There's also no advance notice of what type of olive oil will be sent: you'll just be told that your monthly delivery has been processed, and it's a complete surprise when you open the box.

Limited refund policy

That could be fine if you're adventurous, but what if there's a kind you really don't like (or want)? Olive Oil Lovers lets you request an exchange or refund within 14 days of your order, but it has to be unopened and in the original packaging, and you'll pay a restocking fee of $9.95. If you have a problem with your shipment - the bottle is leaking when it arrives or the oil tastes "off" - you should reach out to their Help email and include photos of the product, interior packaging, and shipping box plus label. The company will likely send a replacement rather than issuing a refund. That's not quite as generous as some of the olive oil clubs we evaluated, who offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee with no fine print.

Five-star olive oil varieties

Don't get us wrong: we're not concerned with the quality of the olive oils sent by this club. All it takes is one look at the individual oils in their online store to see that they're all extremely high-quality. For example, the Oleoestepa Estepa Virgen from Andalusia had almost 150 ratings at the time of this review, averaging a flawless five stars. The product information is extensive, from aromas to tasting notes, nutritional value, and more. This award-winning EVOO could very well be one of the varieties you get in one of your monthly deliveries.

Easy to see where your oil comes from

And, when you jump over to Olive Oil Lovers' social media channels, you'll see videos from some of their producers, photos of the olive trees from their partner groves, and much more. If you're looking for expertise directly from the source, you'll find it here.

Fantastic products - but club is too much of a mystery

We give Olive Oil Lovers an enthusiastic recommendation if we're just looking at the quality of their products. You're unlikely to be disappointed in that respect. On the other hand, their olive oil club specifically isn't as robust as many of their rivals' memberships. We're all for a little mystery in our lives, but maybe not quite this much. Olive Oil Lovers could easily move up in our rankings by offering more details in advance - and maybe including some customer reviews about the club itself, not just the products in their a la carte store.

Corto

• Priced from $210/year
• Extra virgin olive oil made from Corto's own California olive groves
• Free shipping in the continental US
• Extra perks of membership include one limited-edition bottle from the current year's harvest, expert-led virtual olive oil tasting experiences, and access to chef-led cooking classes

Corto is the olive oil club designed to keep restaurateurs and home chefs well-stocked with top-quality EVOO. Every membership features a three-liter pantry box (and then some).

Just EVOO, no flavors in the subscription

Everything that comes in your Corto olive oil club is their TRULY extra virgin olive oil, produced from olives grown in their California groves. If you want any of Corto's specialty olive oils, like Agrumato-Method Yuzu Citrus or Calabrian Chili, you'll have to buy that as a standalone product - and there are no subscriptions for those.

Do you need a LOT of olive oil?

How much olive oil do you need, and how often? That's the main question you need to answer in order to choose between Corto's two membership options:

• You can get three deliveries of a 3L pantry-sized box (yes, that's three liters) for $210/year
• Or, you can pay $10 more ($220/year) and get two deliveries that each include two 500mL bottles and one 3L pantry-sized box

In case you're not doing the math, that's nine liters vs. eight liters.

Get extras as a subscriber

As a bonus, Corto includes one 500mL bottle of the year's limited edition harvest (which typically ships out at a different time, not with one of the club deliveries). Your olive oil club will also get you access to chef-led cooking classes ($100 value) and expert-led virtual olive oil tasting experiences ($50 value).

Learn all you want

Corto provides a wealth of information that can help you take your cooking to the next level, appreciate where your olive oil is coming from, and get inspired to eat healthy. From the "Notes from Our Olive Grove" section on their website to gorgeous features on their Instagram and other social media channels, this business is doing a fantastic job of supporting and informing amateurs and professionals alike.

Where's the satisfaction guarantee?

We were a little surprised to see an "all sales final" declaration instead of a satisfaction guarantee or refund policy from Corto. While we doubt that such a high-caliber company would ever leave a customer with no recourse, it would still be nice to see something stated to that effect outright.

Best option if you're stocking your pantry

We give Corto's olive oil club a slightly higher rating than its similarly-structured rivals (the ones that offer just one type of olive oil with every delivery) because it offers an impressive value for anyone who goes through olive oil quicker than most. You won't find any other membership that keeps your pantry so well-stocked. We also appreciate the quality of the oil and its homegrown nature. And yet, with no gift-giving options and just a single type of olive oil included in the subscription, Corto doesn't quite reach our top tier among clubs.

Kosterina

• Priced from $57.50 per delivery
• All olive oil is from southern Greece
• Free shipping
• Choose deliveries every month, every other month, or quarterly
• Available for addresses in the continental US
• In business since 2016

Kosterina got its start in 2016, the brainchild of Katerina and Kostas Mountanos (hence the name "Kost-" and "-terina" ). Inspired by the freshness and flavor of the EVOO pressed from their families' olive trees in southern Greece, the couple decided to partner with farmers in that area to bring a premium Greek olive oil to the US marketplace.

Early harvest Greek olive oil

All of the oil you'll get in this club is an early harvest Koroneiki EVOO, with a polyphenol content of 400 mg/kg (or more) at the time it was produced. That's almost eight times higher than the 55 mg/kg threshold required for an oil to receive the "extra virgin" label.

How do you use olive oil?

There are two olive oil options in Kosterina: Original and Everyday. What's the difference? You'll want to choose Original if your main use of olive oil is dipping and finishing, while the Everyday option is best for cooking, baking, roasting and grilling.

No variety from month to month

Unlike most olive oil clubs we reviewed, your Kosterina subscription won't bring a new variety to sample every month. Whichever type you choose - Original, Everyday, or both - that's what will come each time (but always with the newest available harvest, of course).

Subscription options

Here are Kosterina's subscription options:

• Three 500 mL bottles of Original: $79
• Six 500mL bottles of Original: $149
• Three 500mL bottles of Everyday: $57.50
• Six 500mL bottles of Everyday: $112

Monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly shipments

You can decide if you want your deliveries to come every month, every other month, or quarterly. That also lets you mix and match your oils by choosing two different subscriptions and lengths: maybe you want the higher-end oil less frequently because you tend to use EVOO most often for roasting vegetables and not for dipping. No problem. Just be aware that this club currently ships within the continental US only (not Alaska or Hawaii).

Free shipping in the continental US

You can save 10% on your first order of $50+ if you enter your email address when the pop-up offer comes up as you visit the Kosterina site. However, most of the time, that discount applies to an a la carte purchase and not to a club membership - but go ahead and give the code a try at checkout. Shipping is free on all configurations of this olive oil club.

Not for gift-giving

Also, during checkout you'll see options to add extras like crushed fruit or balsamic vinegar. What's missing from the process is any opportunity to send the olive oil club as a gift. Yes, you can enter one address for billing and another for shipping, but Kosterina doesn't have any obvious way to hide the cost, add a gift note, or any other common gift-giving feature.

Plenty of perfect ratings

The biggest question is "how does it taste?" With Kosterina being so new, it's a fair question. No worries there: at the time of our evaluation, the Original Olive Oil alone had nearly 700 reviews averaging a perfect 5/5 stars. People complimented the fruity-yet-peppery flavor, described it as the perfect enhancement to many foods, and said that it's one of the best EVOOs they've ever had.

Good impression of customer service

Customers also have good things to say about Kosterina's customer service. While the company doesn't spell out a specific satisfaction guarantee, they want their clients to be happy and invite them to reach out for any reason. Based on all of the positive feedback from Kosterina buyers, we doubt you'll have any issues (unless something gets broken in transit or some other one-off problem).

Best suited for those who only want Greek olive oil

If you're a big fan of Greek olive oil and want to make sure you always have some high-quality oil on hand, Kosterina is an easy, affordable way to keep it coming. For that type of customer, Kosterina will probably be the best olive oil club out there. On the other hand, for people who like to sample a variety of oils from different producers, multiple regions of the world, and so on - or for gifting a membership to a foodie like that - Kosterina won't be the right fit.

Frog Hollow Farm

• Priced from $119.99 for a 3 month subscription
• Tuscan-style certified organic olive oil grown and produced in California
• Free carbon-neutral shipping

Frog Hollow Farms grows the olives used to produce its Tuscan-style certified organic olive oil: Frantoio, Leccino, Maurino, and Pendolino. The team of Chef Becky and Farmer Al visited Italy to get a first-hand understanding of olive production and which varieties could thrive in their California groves. The rest, as they say, is history.

It's the same olive oil every month

At the time of this evaluation, Frog Hollow Farm's Olive Oil club was extremely limited: no flavor varieties, no unique sources from month to month, nothing you'd usually see with a subscription. Instead, you'll see the exact same product every time; your only choices are how much you'd like to receive (300mL vs. 500 mL) and how often (3, 6, 12 months). Shipping is included with all memberships, but we're not sure that paying $40+ per bottle for the same extra virgin olive oil month after month is what most customers are thinking of when they look for an olive oil club.

Not the most impressive for gift-giving

Gift-giving is also fairly limited with this olive oil club. You can enter a gift message (or any other notes/special instructions) during checkout. But other than indicating two different addresses for billing and shipping, there's not much fanfare if you're trying to surprise your favorite foodie here.

Subscription options

Frog Hollow Farm has 3 subscription plans you can choose from:

• $119.99 or $134.99 for a three-month subscription (300mL vs. 500mL)
• $239.99 or $269.99 for a six-month subscription (300mL/500mL)
• $479.99 or $544.99 for a 12-month subscription (300mL/500mL)

Shipping is calculated at checkout on all plans.

Excellent EVOO

On the bright side, Frog Hollow Farm's EVOO gets rave reviews. On one recent year's harvest, there were almost 100 ratings and every one gave this oil a full five stars. People say it's fresh, high-quality, tastes great, and complements just about every food you could imagine. The farm promises that you (or your recipient) will be delighted; if not, they'll make it right. We believe them.

You might want to do a one-off purchase first

Want to try before you subscribe? If you make a one-off purchase from the Frog Hollow Farm store, you can save 10% if you enter your email address and subscribe to their notifications.

Not the variety most people want

If you enjoy supporting small US businesses with carbon-neutral shipping, you could fall in love with Frog Hollow Farm. There's no question that their certified organic extra virgin olive oil is fresh. But, do you really need to subscribe to their olive oil club to get it? Because this type of membership usually offers some variety, we're afraid that most customers will ultimately pass on Frog Hollow Farm's "one-trick pony" and choose a club with more novelty. Great company, great product - limited appeal as a subscription.

Gourmet Cooking & Living

• Priced at $34/month (or every other month)
• Olive oils from various regions in Italy
• Free shipping
• Deliveries can include one or more bottles each month, with discounts for larger memberships
• Product of the Month (vinegar, pasta, cured vegetables) can be added on for $14.95/month

Gourmet Cooking and Living has an interesting origin story: the mother of co-founder Nazzareno Callipo says he was "born in olive oil" , since she was out harvesting olives in the family groves in Calabria, Italy just two hours before he made his entrance into the world. This family-owned business is based in Brooklyn and specializes in gourmet-quality Italian products like balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Flavor of the month

Your Gourmet Cooking and Living olive oil club will consist of a new flavor every month. One bottle is priced at $34 (shipping is included). If you'd like to receive two or more in every delivery, a discount will be applied: the total cost is $59 for two, $82 for three, and a 10% discount on every quantity beyond that.

Add-ons to complement your olive oil

With this company, you can also include a Product of the Month subscription for an extra $14.95 per delivery. You'll get a hand-selected, gourmet Italian product which could include organic jarred tomatoes, hemp flour pasta/pizza mix, cured vegetables, balsamic vinegar, and more.

Learn more about what you receive

Whether you opt just for the Italian olive oil club or you include the Product of the Month subscription as well, your package will always include interesting facts about the items' producers and region of Italy, plus helpful suggested uses.

Not the most intuitive sign-up process

Signing up for the club can be a little tricky and confusing. Make your selections using the dropdowns and checkboxes at the bottom of the olive oil club page. Do you want a gift box with your first delivery? Do you want to include the product of the month? Do you want one, two, or three bottles each time? Those parts are pretty straightforward.

What does that mean?

The next box can feel scary: it says "2 shipments every month" , but that doesn't mean you're getting two separate deliveries in each calendar month. It just indicates that you want two total deliveries, coming in two consecutive months. You'll see other options include 3, 4, 6, and 12 "every month" deliveries, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12 "every other month" shipments (so that your club could cover a two-year timeframe, alternating months), or a recurring subscription until you decide to cancel. You'll also be able to choose a starting month anytime in the next year.

Still a frustrating website experience

Just like last time, we got bogged down trying to check out and buy our olive oil subscription here. When we entered our delivery zip code, our cart total went to $0 for no apparent reason. Pushing on to the checkout, we had to create an account and log in just to move forward with the order. It was disappointing to see that in the years since our last evaluation of Gourmet Cooking and Living, nothing had improved with that part of the process. If you encounter similar problems, you may need to reach out to their customer service to ask for help.

Why aren't there any reviews?

We also wish that this store would show customer reviews - on the Italian olive oil club or even on individual oil selections in their a la carte store. It would be nice to see what people have to say: are they flavorful? Fresh? Delivered on time? We can assume so, but we'd rather see that it's so.

No satisfaction guarantee

And, just like the last time we evaluated Gourmet Cooking and Living, there's no defined satisfaction guarantee or return policy. When you go to the Orders and Returns page, all you'll find is a contact form. Again, we think this family-owned business will take care of you if there's a problem with your olive oil club, but a clear promise would be better than a generic form.

Interesting, active social media feeds

Still, we're encouraged by how active Gourmet Cooking and Living is on their social media channels. Need recipes? Want to see a preview of their newsletters? How about a behind-the-scenes peek at what the owners are cooking for dinner tonight? You'll get all of that and then some.

Good but still not great

Gourmet Cooking and Living is the olive oil club we really want to like and recommend. It's nice to get different flavors every month, to have the option of adding complementary food items, and taking advantage of the owners' wealth of knowledge on all things Italian. However, the ongoing issues with the online subscription process and lack of a satisfaction guarantee keep this olive oil membership from getting more than a three-star rating from us.

The Olive Press

• Priced from $75 per delivery
• Olive oils from California
• Selections can be customized from one month to the next
• 30-day refund policy

The first olive mill in Sonoma, California was The Olive Press, founded by Ed Stolman. The business was purchased by the Cline family in 2013, and they've continued the tradition of "sustainable practices, carefully-tended fruit and mindful farming" . While you may have seen one of their in-person locations in Sonoma or Napa, the easiest way to sample their products is through their online store - which also features their olive oil club.

Two clubs to choose from

There are two olive oil clubs you can consider here:

• The Press Club: this is the traditional oil-only membership. It comes with "approximately" three bottles per shipment, delivered in January, April, July and October. The "average" cost is $75 per delivery, plus shipping. Why all of the ballpark figures? Your subscription just consists of a 25% discount over a la carte purchases, and that won't always result in the exact same amount from one shipment to the next.
• The Amphora Club: created "for those who want to go beyond olive oils and vinegars to a well-rounded pantry of epicurean treats" , this plan is delivered in March for spring/summer and September for fall/winter. Shipping is included with this plan, which works out to an average cost of $150/delivery. We noticed that ours wound up being priced at $200.49 (quite a bit more than we expected).

Perks are mostly for locals

The Olive Press lets you choose what goes into your box. Just log in to your user account and let them know what you want, and it'll be priced at a 25% discount. Your olive oil club also comes with discounts and EVOO tastings - which is nice if you live close to one of their brick-and-mortar locations or their sister wineries, but not much of a perk if you're not local.

Savings on a la carte orders only?

We got a pop-up as we visited The Olive Press that offered us a 15% discount if we became an email member. But, we suspect that the fine print on that would say that it only applies to one-off purchases and not to the olive oil club.

Not a well-rounded option for gift-giving

Gift-giving is possible here - but only by selecting the Gift Message link and typing in a greeting. There wasn't anything that would let us add a decorative box or include a card, and it wasn't made obvious how the subscription would be gifted. Would our recipient see how much we paid? Would they be given a login to customize their subsequent deliveries? No idea.

Not enough info - and big penalties if you cancel early

There are a lot of unanswered questions here, honestly. The Olive Press doesn't come out and tell you that your membership is automatically set for a full year. If you want to cancel before the year is up - in other words, you received delivery #1 and you'd rather not get the rest - you'll be charged a $25 cancellation fee.

Seems unfair

That's particularly troubling given how much this olive oil club costs and how little you'll be told beforehand about what's in the box. Is it really worth the money? Will you receive three small bottles of olive oil or three gigantic ones in The Press Club? Will you get any oil at all in The Amphora Club? If you decide it's not a great value for what you've spent, it seems pretty unfair to be charged a cancellation fee.

Not an olive oil club we recommend

As a business, The Olive Press gets tons of love from in-store customers. It's obvious that their olive oils and other food items are everything a foodie could want. Fantastic! But compared with other olive oil clubs that tell you exactly what you're getting (and for a lot less money), this one fails to impress. We've had to drop The Olive Oil to the bottom of our rankings.